When did the door painting start?

The exact origin of door painting is not known.

The door god, that is, the god of door guards, is a kind of painting pasted on the door in the Lunar New Year. In the legend of the door god, the legend of Shentian and Yubi has been circulating in the folklore for a long time, which has been recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, Customs and Customs, Re-education of the Book of Wealth, and The Complete Book of the Three Teachings of the Scholarship of the Gods, etc.

This is the first time for the door god to be on the door of the city.

Shentan and Yubi specialized in controlling ghosts, monsters and evils, and were able to drive away evils and avoid bad luck, so they were revered by the world, and were put on the door as door deities to drive away evils and block bad luck.

The earliest door god is not actually a painting, but with the template carved from the human figure, the template placed on the door, more three-dimensional, able to deter the ghosts and gods, and used to carve the door god of the board is made of mahogany, they are said to be able to repel evil spirits, the ghosts and gods do not dare to come close to the mahogany is regarded as a plant that drives away the evil spirits, and the two are matched with a strong power.

The door gods of the Tang Dynasty were no longer Shentian and Yuji, but were replaced by Qin Qiong and Yuchi Jingde. Legend has it that once Emperor Li Shimin, the Emperor of Tang Dynasty, was sick due to nightmares, and at three o'clock in the middle of the night, he often heard ghosts screaming. When the ministers found out about this, they recommended the famous founding generals Qin Qiong and Yuchi Jingde to be fully cloaked and guarded outside the door all night long.

Within a few nights, Emperor Taizong's illness was cured. Afterwards, he ordered the painter to paint the image of Qin Qiong and Yuchi Jingde, and pasted it on the door, in order to suppress the evil spirits. This practice was soon spread among the people.

Characteristics of Door Painting

Door painting is a traditional folk art form unique to China. In the past, it was called "door god", which means "to protect against evil". In the long years, with the evolution of the New Year's Eve customs and derived from the formation of a folk special symbolic decorative art.

Traditional folklore believes that New Year's paintings can drive away evil, pray for good luck, and welcome good fortune. In the process of praying for a good harvest, worshipping ancestors, and driving away demons and monsters and other New Year's Day customs and customs, the New Year's Day decorative art has gradually appeared in line with them.